Neil Salkus

I was sad to learn today that Neil Salkus – a chemistry teacher of mine in high school – recently died from liver cancer. He was certainly one of my most memorable teachers, with a great depth of knowledge and an even more notable ability to engage with his students and sustain their interest. He also had a remarkable memory for past students, and evidently stayed in touch with a good number of them after graduation.

One echo of his instructional method that endures is the way he described the Avogadro constant as six-point-ought-two-times-ten-to-the-twenty-three: an archaic phrasing which people used as shorthand to refer to his chemistry classes.

Neil Salkus passed away peacefully, at his home in North Vancouver, after complications from cancer. He is survived by his partner of many years, Heather Fleming, her two daughters, Kate and Kari, his brother Roy, and numerous relatives and friends. He was predeceased by his mother Gladys and his father Albert.

Neil was a proud graduate of UBC engineering. He taught chemistry for 32 years at Handsworth Secondary School where he mentored many students and athletes. He was a founding member of BCO volleyball club and a director for more than 35 years. He loved baseball, golf, travel, and walking his dog Madison.

His kind heart, encyclopedic knowledge, and calm disposition, will be missed by many.